Companion Animal Psychology

The steps you can take to teach any dog to come when called and to help stop them getting lost. The Pawsitive Post in Conversation episode 10. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. It’s surprisingly common for newly-adopted dogs to get lost, and for any dog to go missing at some point in their lives, even if only for a moment. How can we stop dogs from getting lost? We chat with Maria Karunungan of Fetch the Leash in Burlington, Vermont, about the steps dog guardians can take to prevent their dog from getting lost. From the best treats to use when teaching dogs to come when called, the prevention strategies all dog guardians should use, to special steps to take when your dog is new to you, this episode is packed with tips. Kristi shares the heart-stopping story of when one of her dogs went missing, long before she became a dog trainer. And we also

A new format for your favourite cat book. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. I am so excited to share the news that my book, Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy , with a foreword by Pam Johnson-Bennett, will be published in paperback in Canada, the US, and the UK, on 6th June.  This is your chance to get the paperback edition, which is available from all good bookstores. Tell all your friends with cats!! I wrote Purr to help people with their cats and I'm so delighted with the response I've had to the hardback. I know the paperback will be able to help even more people. Here's some of the feedback I've had on Purr : "Enjoyable, approachable, easy to read. Purr is a must for anyone who shares their life with a cat."--Kate LaSala, Rescued by Training, certified trainer and behaviour consultant. "Full of great science delivered with genuine warmth and he

When introducing a puppy to cat(s) already in the home, take it slow, new research suggests. Photo: Gladskikh Tatiana/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. If you’re bringing a puppy into a home with an existing cat it’s important to do gradual introductions, according to new research by Rachel Kinsman et al, published in Animals , that investigated the factors that lead to success. Overall the results of the study are promising, even though only 7% of the puppies behaved in a completely desirable way in the presence of the cat. After all, puppies are still learning, so it’s no surprise that 93% showed some undesirable behaviours at least some of the time. But more than 25% of the puppies could be calm around the cat, and less than 2% showed signs of aggression such as growling at the cat.  Desirable behaviour was defined as being cal

The chemical signals your cat leaves behind—and how they play an important role in your cat’s relationship with their environment and you. Photo: Scalia Media/Shutterstock

A dog trainer ponders the question, somewhat retrospectively: what would it be like to be seen, or to have our dogs seen, as struggling, instead of misbehaving?  Kristi holding Wilma, who was a puppy, with Grace in an abandoned boat on the shores of Boot Lake in Inuvik, NWT. Photo: Yoenne Ewald By Kristi Benson PCBC-A, CTC, Special Correspondent

Fun activities for you to try with your feline friend. Photo: Veronika Zelenina/Shutterstock

Kristi and I have got something exciting coming soon. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. We’re launching a podcast about how to have a better relationship with your pet. Whether you are a pet guardian or a pet pro, we think you will enjoy it. You can look forward to the podcast having the same values that you associate with Companion Animal Psychology : a focus on reward-based training methods, as well as the importance of management and enrichment for helping our pets live happier lives. Plus, of course, it will be fun.  Some episodes will be the two of us sharing tips on dog and cat behaviour and training, while others will have special guests including authors, dog trainers, cat behaviourists, and scientists. At the end of each episode we’ll chat about the books we’re reading. If the format sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve decided to turn

I've got 2 new posts about dog training on my Psych Today blog, Fellow Creatures. Photo: Pezibear/Pixabay In what the Kennel Club calls "a historic moment for animal welfare," England has announced a ban on the use of electric shock collars on dogs (and cats) from 1st February 2024. I wrote about how the ban came about, why there are concerns about the use of electronic shock collars, and some of the organizations in Canada and the US that have spoken out against the use of aversive methods. Read the post here: England moves to ban electric shock collars for dogs . The other post looks at some recent research by Anamarie Johnson and Clive Wynne about the ways dog trainers describe their training methods on their websites. They looked at 100 websites and found that many don't give clear descriptions--making it harder to find a reward-based trainer. Read the post here: You have to read dog trainers' websites closely, study says . Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winn

How much brushing dogs need, how to do their nails, and how training can help. The Pawsitive Post in Conversation Episode 9 with Jane Wolff of Good Wolff.  By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. Watch episode 9 of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation below or directly on Youtube. Closed captions are available. Scroll down for the show notes and highlights.  Grooming and nail trims for dogs We talk about how much grooming dogs need, whether they have short fur or long fur, and why it’s important to stay on top of it. We chat about the research that shows that dogs can find grooming stressful, and the training we can do to make it easier. It's so important to go at the dog's pace. A lot of people find doing their dog’s nails a chore, and Jane has just released a free course, Start From Scratch , that shows you how to train your dog to do their

How to have a happy dog and how to have a happy cat will be presented in May 2023. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. In May, I will be presenting two webinars, How to have a happy dog and How to have a happy cat. The webinars are free and a recording will be available. The happy cat webinar is close to the publication of the paperback edition of Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy , on 6th June, and I will give a copy of Purr away to one of the attendees at the live event. How to have a happy dog When your dog is happier, they are less likely to have behaviour issues and more likely to have a great relationship with you! In this webinar, Zazie Todd will share her top tips to improve the human-animal bond—and explain the fun science that backs them up. We’ll look at ideas for training and enrichment that you can try with your canine bes

Spot the signs of resource guarding in dogs, learn how to keep everyone safe, and the training to do to fix it. The Pawsitive Post in Conversation with Lisa Skavienski of Dog Educated.

"I love this book because it reminds me of our wildness, it reminds me how powerful our sense are, and it celebrates animals and humans in a way that binds us together."--Craig Foster, filmmaker and Academy Award-winner for My Octopus Teacher.

We know that aversive dog training methods have risks for dogs, but how do they measure up to models of animal welfare? Photo: Blue Bird/Pexels

The past year had highs and lows, but happy dogs and cats continue to be the theme as this blog celebrates 11 years. Photo: Lalandrew/Shutterstock

How my book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy can help shelter cats. Zazie Todd's cat Melina was adopted from the BC SPCA. She's pictured in front of the book she helped inspire, and in which she features. Photo: Zazie Todd.

Zazie Todd PhD in conversation with Jules Howard, author of Wonderdog.

I’ve got some amazing news to share with you today. Photo: MHFotografie

I've got a new post on my Fellow Creatures blog at Psychology Today. It's all about whether people treat small dogs differently than big dogs, and whether this explains what people call small dog syndrome. Photo: Grish Petrosyan/Pexels You can read the post here: Do people treat little dogs differently than big dogs? Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy . She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, and also has a column at Psychology Today . Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, one dog, and two cats.  Useful links: Companion Animal Psychology merch   Companion Animal Psychology's Amazon store As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Etsy affiliate and Marks

“I don’t know how to put into words the awe I felt while reading this book—for the incredible sensory diversity of our planet, and for Ed Yong’s talents.”—Mary Roach, author of Stiff

I've got a new post on my Psych Today blog: Flat-faced dogs must be able to breathe, new campaign says.  Photo: Christian Alvarez/Pexels

The pain of losing a wonderful dog is tempered (at least a little) by memories of the delightful doggy moments in his life. A manifesto for giving dogs as much joy as we can.  All photos: Kristi Benson

These were the most popular books on this blog in 2022.